Issue - meetings

Planning Applications: Regulation 3 Application:

Meeting: 06/11/2018 - Planning Committee (Item 79)

79 Planning Applications: Regulation 3 pdf icon PDF 114 KB

Report by Head of Planning Services.

 

To consider and determine the following application:

 

WSCC/030/18/SW     Installation of new lighting layout to the existing car parking area.  The Glebe Primary School, Church Lane, Southwick, West Sussex, BN42 4GB.

 

Minutes:

WSCC/030/18/SWInstallation of new lighting layout to the existing car parking area. The Glebe Primary School, Church Lane, Southwick, West Sussex BN42 4GB

 

79.1   The committee considered a report by the Head of Planning Services.  This item had been deferred at the previous meeting.  The report was introduced by Sam Dumbrell, Planning Officer, who gave a presentation on the proposals, details of the consultation and key issues in respect of the application.

 

79.2   The Chairman advised members that Debbie Kennard, one of the local members, had objected to this application.

 

79.3   Barry Candy, a local resident, spoke in objection to the application.  At the Chairman’s discretion, photographs from Mr Candy were circulated to committee members.  Objections include: on the planning portal, as a matter of public record, there was a conversation between the architect and the project officer about the lack of a brief for the lighting; the ‘Secured by Design’ standard is inappropriate for a small school car park and causes nuisance to residents; the scale of the columns is inappropriate and intrusive and bollards would be more in keeping with the environment.  There was already a separate fenced pathway for children and no vehicle movements during school hours so the arguments for this proposal were inconsistent.  The Chair of Governors had said the lighting columns were not required and the contractor had not involved the Head Teacher who would be happy with an alternative design.  The report implied that lighting was being installed for health and safety reasons - there are no health and safety standards for car parks; if there were, the majority of schools would not comply.  This committee was the final safety net for the community and for the 11 objectors.  There have been no amendments to the application other than rotating the lighting through 90 degrees; side baffles were in original application.  The issues of height, scale and lighting intensity have not been addressed.  Mr David Simmons, member for Southwick, objected to the application.

 

79.4   David Seaman, architect, Seaman Partnership, spoke in support of the application.  The height of the columns had been reduced from 5 to 4 metres and they had proposed the installation of side and rear baffles which would protect adjacent properties.  If the height of the columns was reduced further, this would require the installation of additional columns in order to achieve the minimum required lux level.  The columns would be painted dark green (they were currently galvanised); the fittings changed to powder coated black and the T-bar rotated through 90 degrees to reduce the line of sight from adjacent properties.  The bulbs would be cool white rather than bright white.

 

79.5   Andy Prager, Paine Manwaring, the lighting designers/contractors spoke in support of the application and reiterated the points made by
Mr Seaman.  The lighting was not a security lighting installation rather it was to illuminate the car park for safety purposes.  Side shields would be fitted so no light would escape the school boundaries.  If the height of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79